The council has set aside £2,500 to work with the club to develop a varied week-long programme of activities designed to boost children’s self-esteem and offer them a range of opportunities and experiences that they may not otherwise have the chance to do. Activities will include ICT, literacy and numeracy study skills, health and fitness, sports sessions, trampolining, puppet making and behind the scenes tours of the Franklin’s Gardens stadium.
Pupils from Lyncrest Primary School will be the first to take part in the study programme during the May school holiday. St James Primary School pupils will get their turn in the summer holidays.
Julie Barke, head teacher at St James Primary School said: “Many of the children who attend St James live within sight of Franklins Gardens. The chance to visit the stadium and work with the Study Centre is a tremendous opportunity and they will benefit immensely. I was thrilled to learn we were being offered the chance to take part in this programme. Thank you.”
Councillor Brandon Eldred, Northampton Borough Council cabinet member for community engagement, said: “We hope this programme will provide a positive and inspiring educational experience for these young people. It is a great opportunity for them that I hope will boost their confidence and encourage them to achieve their potential. It should be a lot of fun too.”
Northampton Saints study centre manager Pete Austen said: “Over the past couple of years we have had a number of individual councillors support us, and it is tremendous that the borough council is engaging with the work that we do. The Study Centre has been used by many schools in Northampton for a variety of the programmes on offer at the Study Centre and because of the borough council’s support, we will hopefully be able to offer similar programmes in the future.”
For more information about Saints community engagement projects for children and young people visit www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/education or www.saintsstudycentre.org.
